[Gonzalo G]

Chris, your assumptions are:
1-. The facón belonged only to the gauchos, to make certain jobs
2.- There was no gauchos time ago
3.- There was no need of facones and they were forbidden
4.- So, the facones dissapeared with the gauchos and the rest are false

But, to begin with, and as the specialists says, there were not knives exclusive to the gauchos, but for all the population who demanded or needed them. The general idea of a gaucho knive is one of the typical romatic ideas of an idealized figure, sustained by foreigners. The facón was also used to butcher all kinds of livestock and it is usefull for the same purpose today, for all the people which has small amounts of animals and kill them for their own consumption. It is also widely used to kill or finish off a hunt prey, as the traditional hunting of boars and other animals with dogs is commonly practised. And though the facón is not ideally suited for other tasks, it is also used to perform them. Today, the facon is not forbidden on the countryside as far I understand, but prohibitions never were a consideration for our peoples in Latin America, where the good politicians and government man were the first ones to break the law, and the insufficiency of police numbers was inadecuate to cover big extensions of land. Colonialism and neo-colonialism has not embedded a great respect for the law.

True, this facón is big, but this was not a rare thing among the facones, and the special way they were carried, crossed alongide their backs under the belts, did not impede movements. The facón can be on the limits of it´s size, but the caroneros were bigger, and made with discarded sword and sabre blades. Yes, curved blades. I suppose you read and saw the big facones on the Domenech´s article. Bayonets of this size were carried by many thousand of mens on foot on the wars all over Europe and America during decades. Yes, it can be an impeding weapon in certain circumstances, but neverthless it can be usefull.

I celebrate that you have learned so much during your travels to Latin America, as to make so many asseverations, but your idea is completely alien to the facts of our practices and traditions, as far I can see. For example, you say that the spanish navaja is not used anymore. Certainly, you are thinking in the big ones, more bigger than 30cm when open. But the spanish navaja is it not exclusively the big one. It is not defined by the size, but by other stylistic and constructive features. It came in all sizes and maybe is the source of all the actual folders. And it is made and used very profusely in this days, by many people. Me, for instance. You can check this point with the portuguese and spanish forumites, on this same forum. On other thread, you also said that the puñal criollo was not used anymore. I didn´t want to discuss your beliefs on that moment, but now I also tell you that the puñal criollo (and not gaucho), is often used by the argentineans.

It is not a matter of any revival. Maybe the war and other civil conflicts in Argentina have slowed the production, or the use, of some crafts, as they also slowed other economic areas. Military dictators are always paranoic and nervous about wepons on the hands of the civil population, even about kives. It is not a matter of order and public security (yet they use this argument), but fear of the people. And maybe your personal experiences comes form the times of the military dictadorship over there, when the things were completely different, I don´t know. But the production of this weapons has never stopped, and even if collectors purchase big caroneros, there are still other which are used, NOT in the saddle, as they do not use saddles, but recados. And why should they be called "replicas", if they are made in the interior of a national tradition, by argentinean mounters or bladesmiths who´s fathers did the same? Can we say that the modern bowies are "replicas" only to show and useless big knives, unconfortable to use and carry? In a certain way, they are, but still, they are also usefull, and a living and uninterrupted tradition. The same can be said of the khukri. There is nothing idealistic on it.

Re: Robert´s facón. The handguard is forged, typical of a facón made from the second third of the 20th Century. Not uncommon.
Spartan, as many serviceable and not ornamental facones. Not unusual.
With a dull edge, as it was common on the soft steel of a bayonet used many times. Or in a facón used to kill only with the point, as was usual in the killing of livestock and hunting prey, mainly form the countryside people.
Hilt made with horn, which is VERY common on the argentinean knives. The general form of the hilt is modern, I would say (and I can be mistaken) from the 40´s era. You can see many photos on new and not much old facones from the 20th Century made in this way on the same forum. Please see, read and check for yourself. And apart from Domenech searches, I can´t find any other published work valid on this subject, as other readings I have seen are not very well informed, contain false assumptions or idealize the gauchos and the argentine history, which is learnt from third parties and not from primary sources or direct experience.

Regards

Gonzalo